Grate structure



1,539,925 J. 5. WILSON GRATE STRUCTURE Filed Oct. 17, 1,922

/ m kw anon"?! UNYHH1STATES Patented June 2,

FAYEQi GRATE STRUCTURE,

Application filed lctober 17, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JABIES S. Watson, a citizen of the United States, residing at Scranton in the county of .liaclc wanna and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in G..ate Structures, of which the following is a specification.

Th s invention relates to improvements in furnace grate structures and more particularly to an improved grate frame.

in the ordinary construction of grate frames it is customary to secure the frame. members together at the corners of the frame by means of bolts or similar fastening devices. However, the bolts are of metal of one type and the frame members are of metal of another type, the parts will expand and contract unequally with the result that they will become distorted or fractured. Furthermore, when th frame is being installed or when repairs become neces sary, great inconvenience is experienced in applying the securing means for the corners of the frame or in removing them in the latter instance. Therefore, it is one of the primary objects of the present invention to provide a grate frame in which the frame members will be so constructed as to adapt them to be fitted together their ends and securely held connected without the employment of any extraneous fastening means such as bolts and the like, so that in installing the frame within the furnace lire box, no difficulty will be experienced in connecting together the ends of the frame members, and likewise, in making repairs, any of the frame members may be readily removed and without the annoyance usually experienced. 7

Another object of the invention is to provide the frame members with means whereby their ends may be connected with one another in a manner to insure of rigidity of the structure and amore firm union of the parts in consonance with the weight imposed thereon.

Another object of the invention is to provide the frame members with means forming an integral part thereof for connecting their ends at the corners of the frame so that because of the integral nature of these connections, they will expand and contract to an equal degree with the bodies of the members thereby efiectually providing against distortion, warping, or fracture of Serial No. 595,103.

the frame members under the conditions noted.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the grate structure embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the mating ends of two of the frame members:

Figure 3 is a detail horizontal sectional view through one corner of the frame structure.

In the drawings the frame of the grate structure is indicated in general by the numeral 1 and the same comprises side members 2 and 3 and end members 4.

As previously stated it has heretofore been the custom to secure together the sides and ends of the frame at the corners of the frame by means of bolts or other fastening devices constituting parts separate from the frame members themselves. T he present invention however contemplates providing the ends of the frame members with interlocking parts integral therewith and adapted to interfit in a manner to firmly and he curely connect the corners of the frame. Each end member a of the frame is provided at each end with a boss 5 formed by casting the said end member with a-recess .6 of which one face 7 of the boss constitutes a. walh the bottom wall of the recess being indicated by the numeral 8, and another bounding wall by the numeral 9. The boss 5 is provided upon its face opposite its face 7 with a rib 10 one face 11 of which is disposed at an obtuse angle to the plane of the face upon which the rib is formed and which face is indicated by the numeral 12. The edge face of the rib 10 is indicated by the numeral 13 and is disposed at an obtuse angle to the plane of the face 11. The face 7 of the boss 5 is inclined in the direction of the upper end of the boss, and this end of the boss terminates short of the plane of the upper side of the frame member 4. Likewise the said face 7 of the boss is obliquely disposed with relation tothe plane of the face 12 of said boss. The boss 5 may therefor be said to be tapered in the direction of its upper end as well as in the direction of its inner side where it joins the face 9 of the end member 4 and therefore has, generally speaking, the form of a double wedge.

Each side member 3 of the frame structure is cast at each end with a recess 14: forming a depending boss 15 designed to Wall of the recess 14, and-which'face is indi cated by the "numeral 16, is diagonally dis Eosed so as to coact with the face 7' of the oss 5, and likewise this face 16 is inclined,

in the direction of the top of the recess 14 so that ,the recess is gradually decreased in width in the direction of its said top or upper end. The oppositawall ofthe vrecess lt has surfaceportlions l7, 18,and 19, the portion 17occnpyiiig plane at right angles bO thQ PlHDTQ Of the face of, the said side member andbeingtheref01;'e@,desig1ied to seatibeside the face 12 of the bossb. iThe face portion i8 is diagonally disposedwith relation to the recess Hand is designed to seat beside theface 11 of the boss 5. theportion 19 of the said wall of the-recess 14 being disposed at an obtuse angle-ta the portion '18 so as to seat beside the edgetace 13 of thesaid ,boss 5. It will nowbe evident that when the frame members are to be connected at their ends the ends of the side membersfi a're fitted down over the ends of the en d members 4- so that the. bosses 5 will seatwithin the 'recesses l i and the bosses 15 will seat Within the recesses 6. Thus the parts will be 'interfitted in such a manner that the bosses .5 will wedge into the recesses .14 dueto the disposition of the faces of thesaid bosses 5 and the walls of the recesses l4, and the parts will, be securely held in their assembled relation, the weight of the 'fuel imposed upon the surface of the grate serving to even more firmly bind the v parts. I It will evident that inasmuch as the interlocking parts are integral with the framemembers 3' and 4, theynvillexpand andcontract to the same extent as the-bodies of the said frame. members.- Thereif'ore, there will be no likelihood of distortion of theseparts or, a fractureduejto such expansionfand contract-ion. Furthermore, by the construction illustrated and described the members of the frame may be conveniently asse led ya-nd, disassembled without the manipulation of extraneous fastening means,-

and the installation1 (If the frame. and repairs thereto ,more readily effected than where bo lts are employed in connectingthe members of the Llframei Theiendnrnembers A; of the frame struc-, ture nay be proyided with the usual su p- P t grl pdjgatediby tlie'numeraLZO, as, .e llustrated F gures, 1,; and2 of, the :am.w;-....

ings, or if desired these legs may kbe provided upon the side members 3, and the ends ofthe end members 4 may be formed as in the instanceof th ends of the side members 3, as shown in the drawings, and vice versa." I

l Iavingthus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

ling members to be connected together at thecorners of theframeyone ot said me'm- 1. In a grate structure, a frame. comprisbers having a recess and aboss upstanding tuerein and of wedge-shape, the other mem- I berhaving a recess providing a depending .recess and boss otthe first-mentioned inem= ber. r H

2. In a grate structure; a frame compris ing members to be connected together at the vboss,the saidrecess and last-mentioned boss-f being formed to have wedging it with t he corners of the .iframe, one of said members d T having-a recess in its end and provided with an integral boss upstanding'froin the bottom wall of the recess and bounding the" recessat one side,- the said bossheing Wedgeshape in both horizontal and vertical section with its tapers extending in the direction of its dipper-end and in the direct on of its side which forms juncture with lth i said member, the other member: being formed with a de endin boss defi nin a recess the walls of which are converge ditoward one side. of the member and toward' eo the upper end of the recess, whereby the i 1 boss of each member may have wedging en- 'gagement in the recess of the other member and thereby connect thermembers.-'

3. In a gi'ate structurqa afran -mg members-connecte d together at the cor ners oftheframe, one of said members lieing providediwlth a recess-1n its end and with a boss upstanding .from the bottom Wall of the recess and provided with alat erally projecting rib, the 'boss and the rib bein of wedge formation, theother mem-; ber eing formed. with a recess through its under side and through its op-fl posite side faces and providing a depending boss receivable Within the recess in the first mentionedmember, the-recess in the secOnd mentioned member being'formed'to aecommodatewtheaboss and rib of the first-men- I new tione d member with a wedgin fit.

J In testimony whereof Ia x my signa; v

v ture;

JAMEs'Js; 3

1e compris- 

